Rescue hero: 'He was on his last legs'

A man who braved dark surf to save teenagers swept away by a rip last night says he had "virtually given up" the rescue when he heard voices calling for help.

Pukekohe father-of-four Brendon Pooley spent almost 50 minutes in the surf at Kariotahi Beach near Waiuku after three teenagers, one aged 16 and two aged 17, were dragged out to sea during a twilight swim.

Mr Pooley was preparing to leave the beach with his wife and children when one of the teenagers ran up to him, desperate for help about 8.50pm.

"He was very scared. I think he was pretty terrified really because he'd been in the rip as well and managed to get out of it and lost his mate," Mr Pooley said.

"He said, 'Can you please call for help'.

"The sun had gone down. The first thing I thought is that's no use, there's no reception. If I go away now his friend probably would have drowned.

"The only thing to do is strip off and get out there."

While his wife Caroline drove up a hill to call emergency services, Mr Pooley took off his shirt and shoes, grabbed one of his children's bodyboards and ran into the water near where the worried teenager told him they had been swimming.

It was dark and Mr Pooley had to guess which direction the others had been swept out to.

"I could see the rip. The best thing is to get into the rip and that will take us out the back [of the surf break]," he said.